Playdate
by Equals.Love
Summary: "Don't get cocky Rem, remember who got you into this shit." I didn't care. I wanted to be on the other side of the looking glass. The mirror's edge. I placed two OC's of my own! Read and Review please!


Running was something I loved. Despite the fact we were all tools just fighting to exist, every leap across buildings, every vault over objects... was breathtaking to me. I'd often just go on a run to clear my head, or enjoy the day, no matter if the Blues or PK's were out. I could handle them. I leaned against the storage container, catching my breath. I swiped my hair from my face, and looked up at the darkening sky. Curtains of night draped the azure blue, which said I wasn't supposed to be out. But I didn't care. I wanted to be on the other side of the looking glass. The mirror's edge.

"Remy! Get your ass out of there now!" I heard Merc yell into my ear. I heard gunshot clack against a storage container on the side, ricocheting off somewhere. I didn't want to be the final target of that bullet, or the first or the next shots. I bolted through the puzzle of storage, making my way over the construction cranes, and out of the Blues sight. Alley's and sewers were faster ways to get to Merc. Of course, Faith would be waiting for me too. Not to mention Ash.

I found Ash waiting with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed, leaning against the wall above the building I was headed for. Slowing to a stop, I bent over to catch my breath. "Quick escapes like that... damn I'm getting good," I complimented to myself, smiling up at him. His lips twisted downward, "I just saved your sorry ass," he pointed to the sniper beside him, completely unconscious. "I thought you were with Drake? I could have handled this," I told him, dusting my arm and adjusting my gloves.

"Don't get cocky Rem, remember who got you into this shit. You've had close calls one too many. Merc might just sit your ass down and let Faith take care of this," he scolded, adjusting a wristband on his left. I shivered against the cold wind, the night chill kicking in. It was definitely time to go. I thought it'd be best to just crash at Merc's for the night. "Let's go," I said, going to pass Ash and get off the rooftops. A bird was sure to come by sometime soon. "Wait, not just yet," Ash called, following me down.

"What?" I asked, looking back at him. I heard Merc through the com, "They've got Kreeg. I can't send Faith out there right now, and I can't send either of you alone. So get going."

"But Merc!" I wanted to complain. I never really did anything serious with Ash. He was one of our fastest runners naturally, so it was hard for me to keep up. I managed to some point. "Don't complain, get moving! That bird above you is sure to send a few down there." And just like that, Merc was gone. Probably talking with Faith in her position. I sighed, and looked at Ash, frowning, "fine. But if we're separated, I'm going at this myself," I stood my ground.

I did owe it to Ash though. If not for him, I wouldn't be in this position. Running was a getaway for me, something I wouldn't have discovered if not Ash had caught me hiding in one of the alleyways. He was on a run with a bag for Drake, having gotten out of the Blue's sight. "If you can keep up," he told me quickly, helping me onto the pipe towards the roof. "I'll get you out of here," he offered. And that was that. I kept up for the most part with Ash, earning myself a spot with all the runners.

"Fine, but I'm not taking any blames for you. And I won't come back if you're caught," Ash explained in a tight voice, eyes narrowed. "Let's get moving." he turned, and took off to the left, leaving me to follow. We had to stay low until Drake said the birds were clear out of the area. I thought I'd lost Ash a few times, managing on my own for a few minutes until he showed up in front of me again. "Don't fall behind Rem!" He called out. I frowned, and vaulted a fence easily. I thought he didn't care?

I had to hand to it to Ash, he looked pretty damn good while in motion. I wouldn't tell him, but I also didn't deny his looks. Sure I thought he was cute, but he was so stiff! But watching him run was different. He looked at ease, like we weren't even under time and pressure. _BAM!_ I skidded to a stop at the edge of a building, while Ash landed on a pipe just across. I couldn't reach that unless I had a running start. A Blue was already onto me with his gun at point. "Go! I'll catch up later!" I called, using my forearm to push the gun away, the bullet firing past my head. I easily sent him over the edge, and looked over, seeing no Ash.

So I was on my own here. It's fine, I've done it before. "Merc, can you patch me into Drake?" I asked, rerouting myself to get to Kreeg. "Sure kiddo, you still with Ash?"

"Nah, got split. It's fine though, he's probably wait for me," I lied, sparing Ash a lecture. Merc wasn't really one for lecturing, but if this mission went awry, he'd probably put the blame on Ash for pressing on, even if I did tell him to. I heard Drake on the other end, "alright, you're getting close. Front doors are swarmed with PK's like usual. They're on high alert for Faith, so we're sending you in. Find a way around back, it's less guarded. I can't guarantee you won't put up a fight, but Ash probably took care of them."

"He's there already?!" I asked in sock, hiding in the shadows before the main entrance. I could see all of them in black just swarmed around the front entrance, trucks and shit everywhere. Damn Kreeg, you got yourself in a hell of trouble. "Yeah, he got there a little bit ago. I won't ask how this happened, just get inside."

"Fine," I said easily, and made my way unseen to the back, seeing an open air vent, and a few unconscious guards being stashed into the trucks. Ash. I smiled and shook my head, dropping down behind him. Oops. "Hey-?!" I back flipped to avoid his kick, suddenly losing all respect. "Jesus Rem are you crazy?!"

"Chill out princess!" I snapped, just as he shut the hatch. "Get inside," he growled, pointing to the vent. I frowned, and climbed up and in, him right behind me. "What made you decide to be heroic?" he asked, while we waited for a few PK's to disperse from our way in. I shrugged, "you couldn't make it back, and I couldn't get to you without being pumped full of bullets."

"Didn't think I'd actually leave you huh?" he said with a smirk, leaning against the wall of the small vent. My face flushed, "No! You'd leave just about anyone!" Sue me if I thought he would wait. You could never be too careful with Ash. He always changed his mind without others knowing. "I thought about it, but you're too much a sourpuss to wait for." I frowned, and looked down again, seeing the PK's gone. "Alright, let's go." I clicked open the vent and tried to climb out. "Wait..." I looked back to see Ash holding my wrist. "What?"

"Let me go. You're a klutz remember?" He easily slid past me in the tight space, and rolled out of the vent. I waited until he got to the ground to focus on calming my blush. I've given Ash hugs before, in a childish manner, but that was just too weird. Him sliding past me was... just so different. Was he the one with the issue? Or me? I shook my head, and slid out of the vent as well, landing beside him. Drake called into us both. "Kreeg's only two rooms over, in a cell that's guarded. You'll have to put up one hell of a fight. Tag team, make it work. Once he's outta there, you guys are free to run."

I nodded, and then launched myself over the wall, ducking below the open steam vents. Ash followed suit. "Would you hurry up and get your ass out of my face?" I grinned, and wiggled my butt. "enjoy it while you can." I crawled into another vent, looking down at Kreeg's cell. He just sat against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes found me, and then averted. A PK would catch on if he watched the vent too long.

"I can't get to him without alerting a guard," I whispered to Ash, turning around to face him. Ash looked at me, and leaned forward, getting too close for personal space. Ash hated when people invaded his space. I was sure my face flushed again, just as I backed up. "Ash... uhm... this isn't the best time to be—ah!" I yelped, falling through the vent and landing on top of a PK. I grabbed his gun and shot at the two on the side, Ash already down and taking care of the other three in the room. More were sure to come with all the noise we made. I shot open the lock to Kreeg's cell.

"Get outta here," Ash ordered, patting him on the back. Kreeg nodded, and looked to me. "You guys gonna be alright?"

"We'll be fine. We're right behind you." Kreeg was first through the vent, and I was second, Ash following suit. We couldn't reach the last vent we came through. "Another damn fight," Ash growled, having kept two of the large guns with him. Kreeg pulled out his own, and I clenched my fists. "I like fighting hand to hand anyway," I said with a smile. Ash went first, kicking through the back doors and firing off at the guards who had taken place of the ones he'd knocked out earlier.

That's one thing I noticed about Ash. He never killed. I wasn't sure why. He gave shots to places treatable. He only fought to make them unconscious. I watched them drop to the ground and keel over, while he easily put them into temporary sleep. Kreeg was off to the left, doing his thing with a few guards as well. And me? Well, let's just say... "Remy!"

I watched Ash too long apparently. I wasn't one to freeze much, but for some reason, my body chose now to lock all my muscles. I took a bullet to my left arm, only a flesh wound thank god. But I took another towards my ear, cracking the com into pieces. "Damn!" I hissed, and swung my leg around, taking out the PK who nearly fired at my exposed torso. I grabbed his gun and shot his face in, also firing at the other guards who were on their way. It died down for a minute, while we all dropped our ammunition. "We've gotta go. More are coming," Ash said quickly. I ran to catch up with them, launching myself up to the rooftop with the stairs nearby.

Only my arm didn't seem to catch. "Augh!" I screeched, pain shooting from my fingertips to my toes. My arm was useless, even for a flesh wound. "Rem," Ash called, turning back to see me dangling. "Get going Ash! I'll be fine!"

He pulled me up and urged me to run. As long as I didn't have to hang anywhere, I was good as gold to get to Merc's. I was closer to him anyway. Kreeg would split off and get back to Drake, probably taking a detour to split the Blue's. Hopefully they'd take the bait; trapping two runners over one was virtually impossible for them.

I front flipped off a building and planted on a mat available, falling to the side in exhaustion. Ash tore off a strip of his shirt and tied it tight above my wound, stopping the blood flow. "Why the hell are you helping me? I can take care of this!"

"Dammit Remy, just shut up and let me do this. You're not dying while I'm here." He yanked me to my feet and dragged me into an alleyway, hiding in the shadows. "Get to Merc," he ordered, setting the com into my ear. "Where are you going?" Ash heard the sirens echo through the streets. "I'll ward them off as long as I can. Take the streets alright? Don't wait for me."

"what?! No!"

"They're coming for us Rem, you get your ass out of here now. Remember who got you into this shit," he said. Ash always said that when he was trying to get me to listen. "Alright..." I nodded, and took off to into the alley's, not turning to look back. Even when guns fired and yells were made, I still didn't stop.

I didn't realize much until Faith was easing me onto the couch, looking at my wound. I was both crying and gasping. "Where's Ash?" Merc asked. "He stayed behind," I managed to utter in shaky breaths. "I have to get him," I wheezed. Faith shook her head, "No, you're useless with that arm in that condition. I'll go. Merc, can you try and find him?" Merc frowned, "well, Remy's com disappeared back at Kreeg's cell. Ash gave you his?"

I nodded, and Merc turned back to the wires, "your best bet is where the blues are at the most. Get there and see what you can find. If anything, he's hiding." Faith was already out before I could say anything more. "Please, just bring him back," I begged. "He's my best friend..." Merc glanced at me, and a small, rueful smile appeared. Even through tears I could see at least something. "He'll be alright kiddo. Just you wait."

We waited, Merc and I, him trying to distract me with questions and talk amongst other things. I tried my best not to show my concern, but I couldn't help but worry about Ash. All I could think about was how serious he looked when he forced me to run away. But that's just what he taught me the most. To run. I'd been running my whole life. I'd run from fights, from home, from police. I was on the other side of the looking glass, where the crystal wasn't transparent. I blended in with everyone, yet stood out like a sore thumb. I exist, and am nonexistent. I have friends but no family, enemies but no rivals.

I am on the mirror's edge, the broken shards that no one pays attention to. I am a runner.

I shot up from the couch, and looked at Merc. "Has Faith found him?" I asked, after two minutes seeming like an eternity.

"No, the blues are still on high alert though. Seems the plot to save Kreeg really spooked them. Just sit-" his words cut off at the sound of my cocking the gun. "You're not going out there are you?!" I didn't give Merc an answer, other than placing the gun onto my belt and pulling myself up through the vent. "If I'm not back in two hours with anyone, you can panic." and with that, I took off running.

Adrenaline kicked in my veins like I had just taken a shot of it. My lungs filled with three times as much air, my legs carrying me three times faster. I sucked in through my nostrils and plowed down the street, seeing Blue's begin to appear. I raced into dark alleyways and kept in the dark corners, observing the situation. "Sir! I think we got him!" one man said quietly. I looked up to find Ash crouched and hiding, his eyes narrowed in on the situation. I waved at him, and his eyes bulged when he saw me. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked below a whisper, unsure of how good the men's hearing was.

"I can't leave you here. Give me your gun. On my first gunfire, we run. Got it?" Ash glared at me instead of listening, "you'll get yourself killed." I growled, and pulled at his collar, taking his gun by force. "If you wanna stay here and hide then you shouldn't have met me. You've got three seconds to get your ass moving." Ash let out an exhausted sigh, and nodded, dropping down, and getting ready to part. Before I fired the trigger I noticed they were closing in on us. "This is the only place we haven't checked!" I pushed Ash further back and took off running down another alleyway. I leapt up to the top of the building and fired down at them, taking out two of the cop cars. I made sure I had gotten distance between Ash and I, before I emptied out the guns and threw them in a nearby dumpster, and took off.

I hid in a nearby alley, and waited until the blues cleared out to make a safe journey back to Merc's. "Faith's already here," Merc told me. "I called her back in once I knew you'd reached Ash."

"How'd you know I'd find him?" Merc laughed, and said, "instinct. Get back here both of you, and pronto."

"Well Ash should be on his way now. I'll be late. I've got to get out of the PK zone."

"Aw Rem what'd you get yourself into?" I smiled, "I couldn't leave Ash behind. The PK's would have noticed if we both took off. Wait a sec.." I paused, and went completely still, as if nothing was moving at all. "Rem get some damn air in your lungs and run. They're onto you." Merc then went quiet, and I took off running. "We got him sir!" I felt a smidge of panic as I thought maybe Ash didn't leave. But then I found a gun pointed at me about twenty yards away. A cop car pulled up, and I turned my face away from the light. If I survived this, they wouldn't know my face.

"GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" I heard Ash scream, and I turned to see him firing a gun at all four of the cops, killing them on the spot with fewest bullets possible. How could I let myself get caught? I took off running, not seeing Ash after that quick incident. I thought about how I could get away from them, the most complex route possible, but each time I thought and rethought, I'd find a white ribbon tied to a ladder or a building, a water tower, an unconscious night patrol sniper. This had to be only one person. Ash.

I smiled as I saw another ribbon on a ladder, and as I climbed up, I found him leaning against the water tower, white ribbon on his finger. "Just like when I found you," Ash said quietly, then smirking at me. "You're still really slow." outside of all comebacks and comments I could have said, my only instinct was to pounce on him. I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. "You had me worried sick back at Merc's," I complained, and he put a hand on my head, the other on the small of my back. "I had to hide somewhere didn't I? I would have gotten out, but you had to play hero," he laughed a little, and kissed the top of my head.

"Remember who got you into this shit Rem." I nodded, and looked at him with a straight face. "Yeah yeah yeah. But I'm here with you aren't I?" I teased, and his nostrils flared quickly, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, let's go back."

I nodded, and looked at the tourniquets on my arm. "Think I'll be okay?" I asked. Ash looked at my arm, and took hold of my opposite hand, walking me to the edge of the building. He effortlessly jumped down, which made me nearly lose my heart. "ASH?!" I screamed, and looked over, finding him maybe ten feet down. I knew that jump would kill my arm. Ash looked up at me, and held his arms open. "Hurry up, I'm sure that scream alerted a few night patrol."

I bit my lip, and let myself hop over the edge. I didn't want to open my eyes if I'd hit the ground. …I think 60 seconds is more than enough time to fall ten feet. I cracked an eye open and found Ash carrying me to Merc's, which was just up ahead. "Finally able to look Princess?" he asked, and set me down. "Thanks," I said with a small blush, and walked quietly, awkwardly, next to him.

"Ash? Why don't you ever kill guards?" Ash shrugged, and slid his hands into his pockets. "Everyone deserves a chance to live. They're doing their job, as we're doing ours. They've done nothing to deserve to die."

"Then why did you kill the four back there?" I asked again, and Ash smiled, "simple, I wouldn't let them hurt you." I watched him stare straight ahead, and then I looked down at his hand, taking it with my own. "Huh? Remy what-"

"Shut up, don't make me regret it," I said through grit teeth, and turned away to avoid him seeing my cheeks turn pink. "Hey, remember when I told you you look like a tomato?" Ash questioned, and I nodded slowly. "Yeah, what of it?" he grinned, "I changed my mind. You look more like a berry."

As I spun to look at him with a quick remark, I got a quick taste of his kisser. "You're such a softy," I muttered, and cuddled into his arms just outside of Merc's. "You're truly a rebel," he said under his breath, and gave me a one last tight squeeze before pushing me up into Merc's lair. I dropped in, and stepped aside to make room for Ash.

"Oh so you lovebirds made it back?" Merc spun in his chair and looked at me accusingly. "I've got Blue's and PK's ready to go berserk. What the hell did you two cause out there?"

"A hell of a lot of chaos," I smiled, and looked up at the night sky.

That was the night of my first run with Ash. Merc, Faith, Kreeg, and Drake were now family, and I was a full runner. I could keep up with everyone, take on missions without fault, and be who I was all at once. I began to fade into the other side of the looking glass, the shards that didn't exist. I disappeared, and never came back.


End file.
